Russian Envoy Meets Sudanese Army Chief in Port Sudan

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov visited Sudan today, indicating support for the Sudanese army, which has been engaged in an ongoing war for a year with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Bogdanov, who is also the special representative for the Middle East and Africa, met with Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea. The coastal city serves as a base for the army and government officials since the Rapid Support Forces took control of large parts of the capital, Khartoum, early in the conflict. Bogdanov stated that his visit could lead to increased cooperation and expressed support for "the legitimate authority in the country represented by the Sovereignty Council," according to a statement from the council headed by Burhan. There is uncertainty regarding Russia's loyalties in Sudan due to its relations with the Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti, who visited Moscow on the eve of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.